A long term economic plan doesn’t ignore climate change

Long-term economic plan. Long-term economic policy. It’s the key Conservative phrase and it’s utter nonsense.

If you have a finite amount of resources, how long do you think you can increase the rate at which you consume them?

Every day we’re supposed to cheer when GDP rises, when BP’s profits are up, when we’ve built more cars.

We’re supposed to ignore that growing GDP means we’re increasing the rate we consume the Earth’s resources. (No, decoupling and improved efficiency does not account for it). Chop down a forest, GPD goes up.

We’re supposed to ignore that GDP rises as population rises (the key reason that the UK’s GDP is poised to over take Germany’s in the 2020s — it’s immigration and population, not improved productivity).

We’re supposed to ignore that rising GDP does not mean improvements in our day-to-day lives.

Even the inventor of GDP said it was no indication of the quality of life in a country. (Don’t take my word for it, but the OECD knows a thing or two about this).

Yesterday’s budget was geared towards two things: pushing up GDP and bribing voters. (A penny off beer — Seriously?)

GDP is a speedometer. When Greens say “you’re going the wrong way” the only response we get from other parties is “we can go faster”.

What future are they building? Can we stop once everything is an airport?

The decision to give tax breaks to oil and gas companies and ignore renewables makes it obvious that, whatever the rhetoric, whatever the pledges signed, this government does not care about and will not tackle climate change. Where’s the long term plan in that?

It’s no surprise. This is the same government that says the NHS is safe in its hands, and then tries to conduct a £1.2bn privatisation deal of cancer services in secret.

The Greens are regularly pilloried for their approach to economics, but our approach recognises that there are finite resources, that our current system does not account for its environmental cost (the loss of half the world’s animals in the past 40 years, climate change etc) nor the human cost (obesity, depression, food banks) — key truths that boy racers don’t want to hear as they drive us off a cliff.

If you want a budget response on the details, I’m sure others have poured over it. I only see one party with a long-term economic plan, and it’s one that respects clear limits to growth.